Before we begin, apologies must be made for skipping last week's review. Is it too much to believe that Doc and Res had busy weekends? I submit that it is not. (Pre-apologies for next week’s review, when Doc and Res are reunited in real life and shit gets too real.)

It's alternate universe week on “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic”. Spike, feeling like the sidekick/puppy that he is, worries that he is less than essential to the integrity of the Mane Six. He might have a point – he sleeps in a basket at the foot of Twilight's bed. If you want him to feel like an equal, Twi, you should probably get him his own room. Growing dragons need their privacy.

Like any good fanboy, Spike projects his inferiority complex on the bumbling sidekick Humdrum in his strangely hair-product themed comic. (Bitches and their hair products, amirite?) Twi doesn't seem to notice, because sometimes being the heir apparent (hair apparent?) to Equestria makes one self-involved, and Spike gets more and more caught up in the tales of the Power Ponies. He tries to explain the appeal of the comic to Twi, but she just tells him to go to bed. Like she never got caught up in a book/fantasy world before (see: episode four). Why you gotta hate, Twi?

While the Mane Six clean the creepy palace in the Everfree Forest, Spike sneaks off to finish his reading. The issue ends with a cliffhanger, and it looks like the Power Ponies will be defeated, until Spike gets a magnifying glass to read the fine print at the bottom of the final page. Like the fine print in any document, the act of reading it opens up a portal into another dimension. Spike (in a non-fanboy moment) tries desperately to escape, and most of the girls try to help, but in the end they are transported to the world of the Power Ponies. It's worth noting that Pinkie Pie jumped through after them, hoof-first as is her nature.

Let us now review all the homages made within the world of the Power Ponies:

Spike (Humdrum) is Burt Ward'sRobin from the 1960s live-action Batman, and acting most humdrum indeed.Man, Twi, just like give him a job to do so his self-worth improves. It's probably difficult to be the pet/slave to the next ruler of Equestria if you have any shred of self-esteem. Plus, if Spike ever grows into a full-sized dragon, you don’t want him taking out his issues on you.

Maneiac immobilizes the dimension travelers using the Hairspray of Doom, which has incredible hold. She captures the Power Ponies in this way, and RD’s misfire leads to a rampaging tornado on top of everything else, leaving Humdrum/Spike on his own because he is worthless. Maneiac says as much, because she is more awful than the average villain. Falling into a vat of radioactive shampoo will do that to a pony.

Humdrum sneaks into the shampoo factory/evil lair, where Maneiac is monologuing. She has never seen “The Incredibles”, apparently. Her evil plan involves a giant hair dryer and minions that have been dipped in radioactive shampoo – I believe that's Evil Plan #458 in the Guild Handbook, edition 26. Twilight declares that Spike will save them, causing him to miraculously recover his self-worth and formulate a clever plan.

Spike uses the curtain previously hiding the giant hair dryer and a chain (because factories) to capture the minions. He also swings on the chain and knocks over the worker who has been reapplying hairspray to the trapped Power Ponies. I actually feel kind of bad for that guy, he is clearly just there to earn a paycheck and feed his family. Who wouldn't help a villain to put hay in the trough? (No, Res, we’re not getting into a Clerks discussion about the peons responsible for building the villain’s death-rays and such.)

Now freed, the Power Ponies lay waste to the minions of Maneiac (kudos, Res, Manedusa is better, but it’s also incorrect), losing until Fluttershy gets mad and hulks out, knocking back the energy of the hairdryer and defeating the insane villain. Hopefully Manetropolis has some sort of policy in place for the treatment of insane criminals – better than the one in Gotham, anyway.

The ponies and Spike are returned to their world unharmed, and everypony coos over Spike and how he is not worthless. Res would like to point out that if he hadn't read the comic in the first place, none of this would have happened. Everything is turning out well until he tells them that he bought the comic at a shop called Enchanted Comics. He didn't really think the name meant what it said. Truth in advertising, friends.

Next week: Res and Doc in the same room, watching MLP, possibly hungover. Gird your loins.

Comment without an Outhouse Account using Facebook

We get it. You don't feel like signing up for an Outhouse account, even though it's FREE and EASY! That's okay. You can comment with your Facebook account below and we'll take care of adding it to the stream above. But you really should consider getting a full Outhouse account, which will allow you to quote posts, choose an avatar and sig, and comment on our forums too. If that sounds good to you, sign up for an Outhouse account by clicking here.

Note: while you are welcome to speak your mind freely on any topic, we do ask that you keep discussion civil between each other. Nasty personal attacks against other commenters is strongly discouraged. Thanks!

Help spread the word, loyal readers! Share this story on social media:

About the Author - The Resident

The Resident seems pretty ok: we have no idea having never met him (her?). Um, S/He likes TV and walks in the sand. The Outhouse is pretty sure that Her/His twitter handle is @sundrops33. Why do we keep around a staff member we cannot identify? Those lovely unique hits her/his reviews of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic brings us. The Resident has done more to generate ad revenue than all other writers combined, totaling over $12 in the year s/he’s been writing for us. Keep up the good work!